Guardrail Production Line

The two sections need different roller sets. Both can run on the same frame by changing the set; for frequent switching we recommend a quick-change arrangement.

Both are possible. For pre-galvanized sheet the roller surface and pressure are set accordingly; for post-galvanizing the profile is rolled from bare steel.

A hydraulic press unit is integrated into the line; connection holes and slots are punched before the profile leaves the line.

EN 1317 is the European standard for road restraint systems. It classifies barriers by containment level, impact severity and working width, and it tests the installed system as a whole — not the beam on its own. What that asks of the production line is repeatability: wave geometry, hole pitch and beam length have to stay within the tolerances of the approved drawing, so the system that was crash-tested is the same one coming off the line. The approval itself belongs to the barrier system owner; the line makes conformity producible, it does not carry the certificate.

Guardrail beams are normally rolled from structural steel in the S235 to S355 range, and which one depends on the containment class the system was approved at. The grade is not just a purchasing detail: a higher yield strength springs back more, so the same wave needs different roller geometry and more compensation. Send the grade and thickness with the enquiry — the roll tooling is designed around them, not adjusted to them afterwards.

There are two routes and they load the line differently. If the beam is galvanized after forming, which is the common route for highway work under EN ISO 1461, the line rolls bare steel and the zinc is applied at a galvanizing plant — the coating then covers the cut edges and the punched holes as well. If pre-galvanized coil is used, the coating is already on the strip, so roller surfaces and pressures are set to avoid scratching it, and the cut and punched edges stay uncoated. Which route applies is normally fixed by the project specification rather than by the machine.

Moving between W-beam and thrie-beam means changing the roller set; the frame, drive and punching unit stay where they are. How long that takes depends on how the line was built for it — a standard arrangement makes it a planned job between production runs, while a cassette or quick-change design brings it down considerably. If you expect to alternate between the two sections regularly, say so at the enquiry stage: designing the frame for it costs far less than retrofitting it later.

No. Sigma and C-section posts are a different cross-section with a different station sequence and a different cutting arrangement, so they run on their own roll forming line. We build both, and when a project needs beams and posts together the two lines are quoted as a set — which is usually the more sensible way to buy them, because the post length and hole pattern have to match the beam they carry.